


Vampire Academy AU

by FanfictionReader2015AD



Category: Vampire Academy & Related Fandoms, Vampire Academy Series - Richelle Mead
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, Gen, Rose is dead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:28:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25246162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanfictionReader2015AD/pseuds/FanfictionReader2015AD
Summary: StoryPrologue (Published)Chapter 1 (Coming Soon)Chapter 2 (Coming Soon)Chapter 3 (Coming Soon)Chapter 4 (Coming Soon)Chapter 5 (Coming Soon)Chapter 6 (Coming Soon)Chapter 7 (Coming Soon)Chapter 8 (Coming Soon)Chapter 9 (Coming Soon)Chapter 10 (Coming Soon)Chapter 11 (Coming Soon)Chapter 12 (Coming Soon)Chapter 13 (Coming Soon)Chapter 14 (Coming Soon)Final Chapter (Coming Soon)Ending (Coming Soon)
Kudos: 5





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Story  
> Prologue (Published)  
> Chapter 1 (Coming Soon)  
> Chapter 2 (Coming Soon)  
> Chapter 3 (Coming Soon)  
> Chapter 4 (Coming Soon)  
> Chapter 5 (Coming Soon)  
> Chapter 6 (Coming Soon)  
> Chapter 7 (Coming Soon)  
> Chapter 8 (Coming Soon)  
> Chapter 9 (Coming Soon)  
> Chapter 10 (Coming Soon)  
> Chapter 11 (Coming Soon)  
> Chapter 12 (Coming Soon)  
> Chapter 13 (Coming Soon)  
> Chapter 14 (Coming Soon)  
> Final Chapter (Coming Soon)  
> Ending (Coming Soon)

Princess Vasilisa Sabina Rhea ‘Lissa’ Dragomir was facing Rosemarie 'Rose' Hathaway and laughing. They were talking about the dance coming up. Andre had butted into their conversation and said that he would love to take Rose to the upcoming dance. 

Lissa had immediately bit back telling Andre Dragomir to back off, that she and Rose were going to the dance together and they were going to have girl time, that he wasn’t needed. 

Rose had smiled though, thinking that it wasn’t the worst idea that she had heard. Having Andre for a date might even be a little nice when Lissa undoubtedly got asked to dance multiple times. 

Rose was just about to suggest to Lissa that it wasn't the worst idea when it happened. They heard the car tires swerve and the breaks screech, and then everything else was happening too fast. 

Lissa felt her body lurch forwards as they collided with something. She his her head roughly on the car seat in front of her, instantly falling into unconsciousness. Her limbs flailed around freely as the car moved, attempting to come to a stop. 

At the impact Rose, who had been sitting in the middle of the backseat, was thrown from her seat. Her seatbelt slammed her back down, tightening around her shoulder, she could already feel the bruise forming. Everyone was screaming and Rose tried to think of something she could do to help. But when the car flipped upside down she felt hopelessness crash through her. 

It flipped from upside down to right side up again, landing on the tires but still screeching, it shoved her sideways. 

The next thing Rose could feel was her body being dragged over asphalt. She screamed as it ripped off raw chunks of her flesh, leaving marks along her body that would surely scar, if she survived at all. It was the first time Rose entertained the thought she just might die. 

She felt her body flipping over itself again and again, the force of being thrown from the car keeping her moving. 

Each time her body landed her head connected with the asphalt, causing her head to ache and explode. There was warmth surrounding her body. When she did stop moving she had no energy at all. She could barely open her eyes. She could only look down at the parts of her body she could see. Her legs were curled up, she could see the bone of her knee, there was already a pile of redness around her and it seemed to be growing larger. 

She wondered absently why it didn't hurt more. Why she wasn't in pain. Then her eyes slipped shut. 

"Lissa," she mumbled. Wondering if her best friend was ok. Lissa, she wished she could see her best friend again. She loved her, she wanted her to be ok and she wanted to see her again. She didn’t want Lissa to be alone. She wanted to stay with her. Lissa was one of the view good things in her world.

She tried to look around, but the truth was she had lost far too much blood, the life was flowing out of her onto the cold asphalt. She was in the middle of the road, and at risk for getting hit again. Not that she would feel it. By the time a minute had passed Rose was already gone. 

During the crash Andre had tried to grab at Rose when he felt the crash happening. But when the car had flipped it pushed him away from her. He was forced to the other side, the car slamming him into the window beside him. He hit it once and felt pain radiate through his shoulder. The car turned and he hit the window again, feeling the pain throbbing in his head this time. He felt the glass shatter around him, he closed his eyes trying to protect himself. 

When the car turned again Andre was thrown against the window once more, his body hanging out of it the car turned over, the weight of car slamming on top of Andre, crushing him between the car and the asphalt. He was dead before the pain even set in. The only thing he could think about was leaving behind his little sister, hoping she would survive. The car rolled off, resting upside down with his body mangled, and sliding from the seatbelt. 

Rhea Dragomir felt her throat close as her husband Eric Dragomir swerved the car. She had seen the animal dart out in front of them just like Eric had. She knew that he would have to swerve to miss it, hitting it could have caused a crash just as bad. She hadn't expected the car to react so violently though. As they skidded to a halt the car must have hit a bump in the road and it started spinning. It all happened to fast and her brain couldn't keep up with it. 

Somewhere in the background she heard Eric calling for her. She called out for him, for her children. Her thoughts rushed to Lissa and Andre, praying that everyone would be alright. That their family would be whole again as soon as this terrible moment was over. 

The front window cracked and it sent glass showering down on her. She hissed as the sharp pieces cut into her delicate skin. she was always so careful to take pride in her appearance, she had no scars and she hoped that her healing would manage to take care of the injuries she suffered from this accident as well. 

Rhea was in the middle of hoping that large amounts of blood would help with the process when the impact of hitting the ground caused a piece of the car's window frame to snap and begin bending inward. By the time Rhea felt the metal jabbing into her side it was too far in to do anything about. She was slammed farther into it as the car rocked back and forth, settling once again, though all four tires were up in the air. Rhea coughed, her blood covering the ceiling of the car as the metal pierced through her. She coughed, and kept coughing, her breathing was ragged, she was unable to get enough air and she realized in shock that her lung had been pierced by the jagged piece of metal. She looked over to Eric, tears rolling down her face. 

She tried to say his name but only a low and disgusting gurgle left her mouth. 

When she looked at her husband she could tell instantly that he was dead. His body had somehow come out of the seatbelt. She cried harder, the sobs causing an even more intense pain in her chest. She couldn't breathe enough to cry. Her husband was laying on the roof of the car, glass and metal protruding from his stomach from where he'd gone through the windshield and slammed into the hood. 

His eyes were open and so was his mouth as he laid there, staring at her and screaming silently. The last thing he had thought about was his beautiful wife and daughter, left alone, abandoned by him to the cruelties of the court.

Her chest ached and she tried to cry out but all that could be heard was a gurgling, she wondered if both lungs had been pierced. She tried to turn her head to look for Andre or Lissa, or Rose. Jesus, she'd forgotten the other young lady had even been with them. She was responsible for making sure that Rose got back safely. It was their job. Oh please, please let the three children be alright. 

Her heart rate increased and black spots took over her vision. 

Someone needed to come quickly. If only someone was here to help them, to rush them to a hospital then maybe there would be a chance.

But no one was coming, there were no sirens to assure her that someone had heard her, had heard them. As she died she cried, the loss of her husband, the possible loss of her children. It was all too much, and Rhea Dragomir died with a feeling of heaviness in her heart. Lissa, her beautiful daughter, so strong and capable, hopefully she would find a kinder path in life.

Lissa woke up with a near scream, her head was pounding. She looked around and realized that her world wasn't quiet right. She was upside down. 

She fumbled around looking for her seatbelt. She undid it and fell to the roof of their once beautiful car. She cried out as she landed in some glass. She looked next to her. 

"Rose?" she asked. But Rose wasn't in the seat beside her like she had been. 

"Andre," she felt relief was through her at the sight of her brother. She smiled and crawled towards him, her head still pounding but extremely happy to be in the presence of her older brother again. She felt happy, her brother always made her feel safe.

"Andre," she reached out and gently touched his arm. 

"Andre?" she said again a little more firmly. "Andre wake up," her heart started to pound. She couldn't get over the wreckage of the car to see his face so she crawled out the window on her side and stood up, her legs and body protesting in sharp pain. But she walked over and knelt beside the window she realized that her brother was not here at all. 

Lissa screamed, falling back onto the asphalt and crying out. The tears came quickly, her brother's body was in shreds, bones were sticking out at unnatural angles. 

"Andre!" she screamed. She rushed over to him. "Andre, no," she sobbed. She felt her stomach wrenching looking at the body that used to be her brother. 

She regretted going towards him. She backed up, she glanced at the passenger door right in front of Andre and saw her mother. Her mother's eyes were closed but there was blood that had pooled up in the ceiling of the car, her mother was completely up against the window, and there was metal jabbing into her side. 

"Mama," Lissa felt her throat closing up. She didn't want to look at her father. She whipped around. 

"Rose," she screamed. She fisted her hands in her shirt, her world felt like it was spinning. She felt sick to her stomach and her head wouldn't stop pounding. 

"Rose where are you!" she yelled. Why wasn't her friend in the car. Had she lived? Had she gotten up to go find help? That sounded like something Rose would do. 

She stepped way from the car, backing up. Lissa needed to go find help too. She wasn't alright, she knew that. Her own body had suffered catastrophic damage. She needed medical attention. 

She stumbled back, her father's corpse prominent as she looked at him, crumpled half in the car and half on the cement. Shards of glass were sticking out of him and she felt her lip tremble. 

She stepped back and cried out as she tripped over something and fell backwards. 

She looked down and saw a body, a human body. 

"Rose," she gasped. She hurried to her friend's side and pulled her over, looking at her face. Rose's eyes were halfway closed.

"No, Rose," Lissa cried. She felt her heart constricting and she wailed, holding her friend's hand and collapsing onto her chest in tears. 

She felt the pull of magic in the world swirling around her. But nothing happened, time was frozen and the past couldn't ever be reached again. 

It was hours or maybe minutes, or maybe only seconds before Valissa Dragomir stood up as an only child. She followed the path they had been driving on, it was long but they were headed into a city. She found the crowded streets and as soon as someone in the city laid eyes on her they called for an ambulance. 

"Miss, miss," there was a light shining in her eyes suddenly and she screamed, backing away. 

"It's alright Miss," she looked again, it was a paramedic. "Can you tell me your name?"

"I'm Valissa Dragomir," she said. The paramedics stared at her in shock. 


	2. Chapter 1

"Snap out of it you idiots," one paramedic clapped his hands together. "We need to get Ms. Vasilisa Dragomir to the hospital."  
There was a flurry of motion around her.   
"How did your injuries occur?" the paramedic asked her.  
"My family and I were in a car accident," she felt her shoulders shaking. She didn't want to think about it but their bodies came flooding back to her. Her brother Andre, his body smashed by the car. Her mother Rhea, impaled through her side. Her father Eric, his body crushed and punctured through the front. And Rosemarie, her best friend, lay tossed from the car to die alone on the pavement. She hadn't even taken Rose's body out of the road she could've been hit again.  
It was all too much and Lissa broke down in tears.  
"Ms. Dragomir," one of the paramedics said soothingly. She felt a hand on her shoulder.   
"Take deep breaths," another one encouraged her. "Try and breathe through it, I know it must be difficult, impossible even. But we need you to remain calm so that we can treat you."  
The sobs wracked her body still, causing her to convulse and her bleeding only got worse.   
"We might need to sedate her," one of the doctors said.  
"My family," she gasped. "Please, we were in a car accident. It was a mountain road. It- I'm not sure how far I walked or how long it took. But they're on the mountain road," she cried again, the pain in her stomach intensifying. "You have to send someone to look. I, maybe they're still alive."  
"We'll call back to dispatch right now, but you have to calm down otherwise we're going to have to sedate you."

She couldn't stop crying though, it was impossible. She'd manage to push everything back long enough to get to help but now she was here, she had made it all the way down the mountain, who knows how far. She was sitting in front of medical professionals and she'd left her family.   
She hadn't even checked for a pulse.   
She felt her body beginning to wretch. She leaned forwards, dry heaving a few times.  
"It's too much for her," the paramedic beside her said. "Bring a sedative."  
Another EMT hurried over and handed the sedative to the paramedic. The paramedic checked it and then gently inserted the needle into Vasilisa's arm.   
Her body began to feel heavier and her emotions began to ebb. She smiled a bit as she slipped away.  
"Let's get her onto the gurney. Call ahead to the hospital, they'll want to prepare a private room and contact the appropriate authorities."  
"Right away," the other medic said.   
They loaded her onto the gurney and put it into the back of the ambulance. They drove away from the normally quiet town and headed towards one of the higher end hospitals, making sure that the hospital was ready to receive her and had enough security to protect what may very well be the last Dragomir.  
Dimitri Belikov was being dispatched with another group of four guardians to go and investigate a scene on a mountain road. According to the report that Saint Vladimir's had received Vasilisa Dragomir was being treated at a hospital in the area after being involved in a tragic car accident. If Vasilisa's reports were to be believed then the other family members were deceased on the mountain road. 

Alberta Petrov parked the car and Dimitri and the others with them exited.  
"My God," Stan said. He was a shorter man, but everyone was shorter to Dimitri.   
They approached the scene, each of them instantly checking for a pulse.   
Dimitri checked Eric Dragomir but it was obvious very quickly that he was dead. The pulse check only confirmed it.   
"Oh god," Alberta gasped and the other guardians turned to her. "It's Rose," she whispered.   
Stan and the others who had taught at the academy longer hurried over quickly. Dimitri didn't know who Rose was but he followed. He saw a short girl laying on her side, a blood trail was behind her.  
"She was trying to get back to the car," he observed.  
"She was one of our students," Alberta told him.  
"She had a loud mouth but she was going to make one hell of a guardian," Stan admitted.   
"It's so tragic."  
"I'll call in the coroner," Dimitri stepped away and placed the call. 

It didn't take long before he turned back to them. "The car is on their way here, they've asked that someone stay with the bodies until they arrive, the rest of us need to head to the hospital and check in on Vasilisa."  
"You're right," Alberta said.  
"I'll stay," Stan said quieter than Dimitri had ever heard the man.   
The other guardians nodded at him and got into the car. Alberta drove again and no one said anything.   
"Belikov you'll report to Kirova yes?" the other guardian asked.   
"Sure, once we arrive at the hospital I'll call her to update her."   
The drive down to the hospital was calmer, it was about fifteen minutes away and when Alberta parked the car they were allowed in a back exit.   
"We're the guardians from Saint Vladimir's to check in on Vasilisa Dragomir," Alberta checked in. Security checked all of their badges before letting them through.   
"She's under sedation at the current moment," one of the nurses said as they walked up to where her room was.   
They all showed their badges again to one of the guardians who had responded to the scene.   
"Why is she sedated?" Alberta asked.   
"She was having a panic attack when relaying information about the crash to the on scene paramedics so they gave her a dose. When she arrived here we wanted to focus on getting enough blood into her system and letting her body heal on its own without additional emotional stress. She should be waking up soon though."

The three of them nodded.   
"I'll call Kirova while we wait," Dimitri said.   
They both nodded. Alberta went to find the doctor and get a complete rundown of Vasilisa's condition. She had apparently suffered only minor injuries, the most concerning was blood loss. The hospital had already reached out to a nearby feeding center and a feeder was being sent over within the hour.   
Vasilisa had been given a private room. And now the guardians from Saint Vladimir's were on sight to give extra protection. At least for now she was as safe as she could be.   
The most challenging thing would be when she woke up and discovered that her family and friend were still dead.  
“Hello,” Janine answered her phone on her day off. She wasn’t expecting the person on the other end to be a coroner.   
“Your daughter has been found dead after being thrown from a car on a mountain road. We’re sorry to have to inform you but it would be best if you could come down to the mortuary and identify the body as soon as possible.”   
Janine’s mind was blank. It was impossible to process.   
She drove down and managed the details in a daze before going back home.   
Janine never expected to have to make this call. She had never expected to get the call she had just ended either. She sat on her couch, a bourbon already poured for herself. She had called off work, something she never did. 

After explaining the situation she had been told that the others would figure something out and not to worry.   
She took a long swig of the bourbon and then hit the call button.   
"Ibrahim," he said curtly.  
"Abe, it's Janine."  
"Oh to what do I owe the pleasure?" his voice was flirtatious and it nearly made Janine break into tears. She wished that she was calling for something so innocent, she wished she had called more often just to talk.  
"Abe," Janine said, her voice already shaking.  
"What is it Janine, do you need me to take care of someone? I can have one of my guys to you in a matter of minutes, what's wrong?"  
"No, no, it's Rose, Abe. She was involved in a car accident with the Dragomir Family. She," Janine covered her mouth and cried.   
"Söyleme," he let his mother tongue slip out. Don't say it.   
"She died Ibrahim."   
Janine couldn't keep the sobs back anymore and she broke down on the phone. 

She didn't hear him say anything. She couldn't even pull herself together enough to take a deep breath and see how he was processing it.   
He'd never even gotten a chance to meet Rose. He had always said he thought it would be best if he waited until her 18th birthday. But now she'd never even had that.   
"Thank you for calling me Janine," he said, his voice tight. "I'll be there by tomorrow, tell them that I've requested Rose's body be held at a mortuary for, never mind. I'll have one of my people call and make the arrangements. I'll handle the coffin, the gravesite, and the burial. Don't worry, she'll have only the best."   
He paused for a minute. "The other Dragomirs?"  
Janine sniffed. "All dead except for Vasilisa."   
"At least they didn't kill my daughter and leave her alone to die. You won't be alone long Janine, I'm on my way."  
Janine didn't know how to thank him so the line went dead before she could.   
She dropped her phone onto the couch and pressed the palms of her hands against her eyes, rocking back and forth and crying.


	3. Chapter 2

It was going to be the most impossible day of Janine Hathaway’s life. As soon as she got out of bed that morning she knew that from this moment onwards everything was going to be hard.   
But she didn’t let that stop her, she went to her bathroom and showered, getting ready for the day. When she came back out she put on a black tailored suit and left her hotel room to go and find Ibrahim.   
She was anxious to see him, at the moment she felt like she could be strong, and just keep this stern face with a tight upper lip on for the entire day, and then everything would be fine. But Ibrahim had always been her downfall, and she worried that once she saw him she would fall back to him and allow him to comfort her instantly.   
She walked out to the valet where she would pick up her car.  
“Janine,” she heard behind her. Her spine bristled, she wasn’t ready to see him yet.   
She turned and there he was, also clad in black, his usual scarf gone, but his nazar hanging prominently around his neck.   
“I thought I recognized you,” he offered her a sad smile that didn’t reach his eyes.   
“It’s good to see you, Ibrahim,” she said.

“It certainly doesn’t feel that way now does it,” he sighed. But he stepped closer and pulled her into his arms. “I’m excited to see the pictures of her,” he squeezed Janine tightly. “I was just a few years too late I suppose.”  
Janine felt her Conscience waver already as her lip quivered and she clung tightly onto Ibrahim, surely messing up his immaculate suit.   
“Want a ride there Janine? It’s probably better than having to drive yourself,” he pulled away from her after a moment and wiped the singular tear that had managed to escape.   
She took a deep breath and nodded.   
Ibrahim signaled to one of the men beside him and the man went forward to get the car. Ibrahim and Janine sat on a bench and waited with Ibrahim rubbing Janine’s back and Janine taking deep breaths with her head in her hands.   
The day wasn’t anywhere close to over and she’d already cracked, she hadn’t even been awake for an hour. How was she going to make it through to the end?

She felt even more hopeless as a new wave of sorrow hit her and she swallowed trying to swallow it back as well.   
“The car’s here,” Ibrahim whispered and they both stood up, Janine’s eyes already red.   
They got into the back seat of Ibrahim’s car and sat in silence as they were escorted to St. Vladimir’s Academy.  
“Where to the first boss?” the guardian driving suddenly broke the silence.  
“The funeral is hosted in the church,” Ibrahim said.  
The guardian nodded and headed that direction, parking by one of the side entrances. The two guardians came to both doors and opened them. Ibrahim and Janine got out of the car and found their way back to each other to enter the church together.   
As they walked through they noticed someone else at the sitting area meant for family.   
Janine bristled and tried to get a better look.

“It’s the Dragomir girl,” Ibrahim whispered. “I heard her parents died in the same crash?”  
“And brother,” Janine said.   
He whistled lowly. “Bad day for her, why is she in our pew?”  
“Vasilisa was Rose’s best friend.”  
Ibrahim nodded and stood at the edge of it, looking at the petite blonde who was sitting directly next to the entrance of the pew.   
She looked up and seemed confused when she saw him but glancing back recognized Janine.  
“I’m so sorry,” she stood up and moved out of the way so they could step into the pew.  
Ibrahim nodded, not sure what to say to her. He let Janine take the seat next to her and reached forwards to take the kneeler down.   
He reached into the top of his suit pocket and took out a silk handkerchief with an elegant R.H. sewn into it. He unfolded it and delicately picked up the pink tinted rosary from inside. 

Ibrahim knelt onto the kneeler and stared at his daughter’s coffin as he began the rosary.   
Janine glanced at him and was curious but didn’t want to interrupt him, so she turned her attention to Lissa instead for the time being.  
“I’m so sorry to hear about the car crash Vasilisa,” she said quietly.  
Lissa tensed up a bit and sniffed, nodding somberly.   
“It was terrible,” she pulled at some of the bandages still on her arm. “There are a lot of things I saw that day that I don’t think I’ll ever forget,” she bit her lip. “They said I should’ve died too, no one really knows why I didn’t but,” she paused, tears already lining her cheeks. “I wish I did, this is just too hard. I don’t know what to do, I feel lost every second of every day and I keep waiting for things to get better or feel natural or make sense but they never do. I wake up in the mornings and it’s like remembering it all over again and,” she was racked by sobs as Janine pulled her into her arms.

Vasilisa had lost a mother, and Janine had lost a daughter. Neither of them could ever replace the other, but perhaps there was some small comfort to be found.   
Janine gently stroked Lissa’s hair and rubbed her back as she tried to calm down. She was so lost in helping Vasilisa that she nearly jumped when Ibrahim returned to his seat next to her.   
“What is that?” she whispered looking as he wrapped the rosary in the silk again.   
He opened it and angled it towards her. “This is a rosary I had made by one of my jewelers with crushed rose petals mixed in, I had it blessed by my priest afterward. I had originally had it made for when I met her but I wanted there to be one set of prayers on it for her when she passed. The handkerchief was just something to give it to her in but it has her initials on it so I’ll give that to her too.”  
Janine’s interest was peaked. “Did you bring anything else for her?”

“Only one more thing,” he reached into his pocket and pulled out a Nazar. “To ward off evil.”  
Janine felt her ears tear up again, Ibrahim had given her a Nazar when they had first met and a second to wear when she had become pregnant with Rose, specifically to protect Rose. But for some reason Janine had never given that one to her daughter, not wanting her to have clues on how to hunt down her mafioso of a father. But it meant a lot to her that Ibrahim had brought so many things to give to his daughter, and that some of them had been ready before her death as well.   
The service passed and the parents and Vasilisa were allowed to make their way to the coffin. Janine hardly wanted to look inside and Vasilisa refused to. But Ibrahim lifted the lid gently and placed the Nazar over her folded hands and set the rosary over her heart. 

He smiled softly as he looked down at her. She was beautiful, even if it was the only time that he’d ever see her, even if her eyes were already forever closed, he loved her all the more for having laid eyes on her.   
After the service was the memorial, which Janine wanted to skip altogether. She didn’t want people coming up to talk to her, to ask about Rose or ask where she’d been or ask who Ibrahim was.   
The service was more than enough for Janine if she was being honest but she knew that it would look terribly bad if she left before attending the service.  
“Ibrahim,” she whispered as they walked towards St. Vladimir’s hall which would be draped in black for the occasion.   
“Hm?” he looked over to her. “Do you think that staying only one hour will be alright?”  
Ibrahim nodded. “We’ll stay for one hour and then I’ll get you back to the hotel, alright?”

She smiled up at him and leaned her head on his arm for a moment before stealing her nerves and heading inside.   
It was decorated well, considering the occasion. There was food that on a normal day Janine would have found looked incredibly appetizing from Earl Restaurant. There was even a table of desserts with some treats still in boxes reading Marble Slab Ice Cream.   
Janine wasn’t in much of a mood to eat at all though. She looked for a table and went to sit down when Ibrahim caught her hand and dragged her over towards the food.   
“Ibrahim, I really don’t feel like eating anything,” Janine protested quietly but still allowed herself to be brought over towards the tables of food.  
“If you’re eating people won’t feel like they can walk right up to you in order to talk, and if you manage to keep something on your plate for an hour then we can go and hopefully have talked minimally to people we don’t want to hear from.”   
Janine was annoyed that it was a really good plan. But Ibrahim had always been smart and he had always been good and reading and reacting to social situations. 

As they got their plates of food Ibrahim, always the sugar lover, dragged her towards the dessert table too. On several of the cakes were messages to Rose.  
Rest in peace. My best friend Rose.  
Lissa  
Janine’s heart softened at the kind gesture, and it made her wonder where Vasilisa had gone to after the ceremony.   
Ibrahim took a piece of cake and put it onto his plate, finding a table towards the back and sitting down with Janine.   
They weren’t even a few bites in before they both heard a female voice utter Rose’s name in a tone that did not indicate sorrow.   
“I mean at the end of the day, accident or not, it’s not like she was ever going to do anything anyway,” the girl said.  
Janine felt herself bristle in her chair.  
“Mia,” another boy glared at her.  
“Oh shut up Jesse, you’re just mad because you never got to bone her. She’s not even that pretty, especially not anymore,” the girl snickered.

Janine was just about to stand up from her chair when two other boys seemingly appeared out of nowhere.   
“Why don’t you shut your fucking mouth Mia,” one of the dhampir's said, looming over the smaller Mori and glaring menacingly.   
“Ya,” the other dark haired one said, glaring down at her. “You know Rose would’ve put you in your place if she were still here. Have some fucking respect.”  
“Oh don’t you two look like pieces of work,” she laughed and rolled her eyes. “Oh what are you going to do? Cry me into submission,” she faked tears.  
They gritted their teeth and the first stepped closer to her.  
“Mason,” his friend had a warning tone to his voice.  
“I haven’t taken jack shit of vows yet, I don’t give a crap if she’s a Mori, I’ll knock her lights out.”  
“Doubtful,” the girl laughed but took a step back.   
“Eddie, Mason, Jesse,” it was Vasilisa. “I’m not sure what you’re doing over here but there are more important things I need your help with. Please come with me,” Lissa said, turning away from the other girl.  
“Vasilisa,” Mia said, her voice completely changed. “I am so deeply sorry for your loss, I can’t imagine-”  
“Jesse I’d appreciate your help with some of the boxes,” Lissa said.  
“Um, what about what Mia was saying?” Jesse glanced back at her.  
“I’m sorry?” Lissa tilted her head and looked back at the girl. “I don’t see anything, and I didn’t hear anyone talking either.” She looked back at Jesse, “are you going to help me or not?”  
“Of course I,” Jesse said, turning away from the other girl. 


	4. Chapter 3

It was impossible to move. Every single one of Lissa's limbs felt far too heavy. It felt pointless to even try. She didn't want to move, she just wanted to lay here and rot away. She wasn't even crying anymore, though that could change at any moment. The tears from before were dry on her face now, the lines softly crusted because she hadn't wiped them away.   
She felt her breath hitch as the image of Rose laying helplessly on the asphalt, a trail of blood behind her flashed in her mind again.   
She squeezed her eyes shut, willing it to go away, wishing more than anything that she would stop seeing her friend like that.   
A few more tears leaked out.  
How was she supposed to survive high school without Rose? Rose was always the upbeat one, always the one that people wanted to be around. People only liked Lissa because of her status, but people liked Rose for who she was and her fun and upbeat attitude.   
'Now that's not true Vasilisa Dragomir and you know it' her lip quivered as she heard Rose's voice in her head.   
"It is true Rose," she whispered. "And you know it."  
She could hear Rose's laugh, as easy as if she was right beside her. It ripped her heart in two. 'Oh stop that,' Rose said. 'You were always my favorite person to be around. So stop being so hard on yourself. You know I love ya, and so does everyone else.'

Lissa curled up into herself.  
"No, Rose, they don't," she said a little louder.   
'I guess I just don't see why you would think that,' Rose pouted in her mind. 'You're kind of amazing.'  
"No, I'm not," Lissa screamed, her body suddenly having an excess of energy as she jumped to her feet and whipped around to yell at her hallucination of Rose. "I'm nothing special. No one likes me. All anyone likes are my prestige and I don't even want it," she sobbed, her tears were falling in piles onto her floor.   
She looked at the spot on her bed where she imagined that Rose had been, but no one was there. Lissa collapsed in tears, her head landing in the spot where Rose's lap would have been. But no one was there, she was all alone, alone in her room, alone in life. She'd be alone forever from now on.   
She cried, her shoulders shaking as she did. Her hands gripped the sheets and pulled them to herself.   
She just wished that everything could just stop, give her a second to catch up. But nothing was stopping. Everything was sprinting forwards and she just wasn't ready to try and keep up.  
She wasn't ready to say goodbye to Rose but her funeral had already passed. She wasn't ready to stay goodbye to her parents or to Andre and that funeral was sprinting at her dead on. 

She wasn't ready to go back to classes and even though she had been assured that there was no pressure and she could take as long as she needed she also knew that people would start to talk after a while.   
She felt her breath catch in her throat when she heard voices near her door. She trembled at the thought of someone knocking. But the footsteps and voices continued past her room, ignorant to the struggle she was facing inside.   
She let out a ragged sigh of relief and stood up.   
She didn't want anyone coming in. The thought scared her to the bone. So she stood up and double checked the lock. It was working, it was doing fine but somehow it still just didn't feel like enough. She looked around and saw her bookcase.  
She wiped her eyes, it was heavy, she knew that it was. She'd probably barely be able to move it.   
'You don't have to shut people out,' Rose whispered.  
Lissa sniffed and pointedly ignored her mind's image of her friend.   
"You're gone," she said back. And felt her heart shatter. Rose was gone.   
She grabbed the sides of the bookshelf and pulled roughly at it. It didn't move at first, and once it finally did she could only move it in jerky and sudden movements, never smoothly over the floor. It made a considerable amount of noise but Lissa didn't care. She didn't care about anything anymore. She just wanted to be alone. She just needed some time to process everything. And too many people kept coming through doors, kept coming in and disturbing her.   
"I just want to be alone," she sobbed and leaned her head onto the side of the bookshelf once it was in place. 

She took a deep breath and walked back to her bed, falling onto it and burying her face in her pillows. She didn't try and stop her sobs anymore.   
And she ignored the knocking on her door when it came. She didn't even listen to who it was, because she didn't care. She wasn't going to open that door for anyone, because there was no one left in this world that she wanted to talk to.   
The knocking grew more frantic and all Lissa could think was stop, please stop.   
Eventually, the knocking did stop and the pestering and pleading voice stopped.   
Lissa let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes, snuggling into the pillow and pulling it closer to herself. She was going to drift off to sleep, she wasn't going to make any more stupid or reckless choices tonight, she just wanted to sleep. She wanted a few hours to feel nothing and forget that this entire nightmare was happening around her.   
"Headmistress Kirova," one of the guardians came running up to her office, she hesitated but decided it was best to knock.  
"Come in," the headmistress said quickly. The guardian was grateful and she entered the office.   
"I'm sorry to interrupt your day ma'am but there has been a new development concerning Vasilisa Dragomir."  
Kirova stood instantly. "Has something happened?"  
"She's unharmed to our knowledge but she has locked herself in her room. When one of the guardians first arrived they found the door locked and we don't have a key. In the beginning, we could hear her sobbing but now we can't hear anything at all. She rejected to speak to us even once and we're all concerned for her. With Rosemarie's funeral just yesterday we're concerned that she's perhaps taken a turn for the worst."

Kirova cursed and dug through her drawers for her keys, pulling them out and coming out from around her desk.   
"Come on, let's hurry," her heels clicked loudly through the hallway as she followed the guardian. Kirova couldn't exactly run in her heels but she was faster than most people were in them.   
They reached Vasilisa's room and she knocked sharply.  
"Vasilisa," she said clearly. "Open this door immediately. This is Headmistress Kirova and I am worried about your physical and mental well being."  
Silence.  
Kirova knocked again. "Vasilisa, this is my last chance asking, I brought the master key with me and I will open this door myself."  
Silence.   
Kirova took the keys and didn't hesitate in using the proper one to unlock the door. She pushed against it to open it and was surprised when it didn't open.   
"Headmistress?"  
"There's something blocking the door," Kirova said.   
"Would you allow me to try?" the guardian offered.  
Kirova stepped out of the way and the guardian attempted, first trying to push past the block with only their arms but then leaning their entire body against it. Both women were confused as they heard a scraping sound.  
"She's blocked the door with something, and something large at that."  
"Why would she have possibly done that?" Kirova asked.

The look of panic in the guardian's eyes was enough for Kirova to grab her communicator.  
"Dimitri Belikov, report to the exterior of the third Mori housing building, immediately."  
"Copy," Dimitri's voice responded.  
"Stay here in case she comes out," Kirova instructed the other guardian.   
Kirova hurried out to the front of the building, looking as the tall guardian made his way towards her.  
"Follow me," she said, turning and walking briskly back inside. They walked to where Vasilisa's room was and she went to the door next to it and knocked.   
"Headmistress?" another Moroi girl rubbed her eyes.  
"I apologize for disturbing you, but we need to get into the room next to yours, would it be alright if we came inside?"  
"Sure," the Moroi moved out of the way and opened her door wider.   
"I need you to go out this window and scale over to Vasilisa's and get inside." Kirova opened the window widely then backed away so Dimitri could access it.  
"Care to explain why?" he said, removing his trench coat and heading towards the window.  
"I'm worried that Vasilisa has tried to hurt herself, or perhaps even to kill herself," Kirova spoke softly, the dread in her heart growing.


	5. Chapter 4

Kirova didn't need to say anymore. Dimitri tossed his coat to the floor and climbed out of the student's window. He maneuvered carefully, getting his foot firmly onto the other window ledge before shifting his weight.   
Once he was on the ledge of Vasilisa's window he glanced around the room. He noted a bookshelf moved in front of the door, and Vasilisa laying on her bed.   
She didn't appear injured but he couldn't be sure.   
Dimitri knocked on the window loudly, hoping that he could get her to open it instead of having to break it. Especially with her on the bed just beneath the window, it could be incredibly problematic if he did break it and it shattered on top of her.   
He knocked several more times but she didn't stir.   
"Kirova," he called.   
The principal stuck her head out of the adjoining window.  
"God, is it bad?" she asked.  
"She's breathing from what I can tell but she's asleep and a bookcase is in front of the door. Have someone pound on her door to wake her, I don't want to shatter the window with her right under it."  
"Alright," Kirova disappeared from sight and soon enough Dimitri could hear a pounding on Vasilisa's door.   
It continued, steady and consistent until he saw her stir.  
He knocked on the window and she looked up at him surprised.

The annoyance in her eyes was clear but she got up and opened the window anyways.  
"What are you doing?" she asked.  
"You weren't opening the door, you worried the other guardians."  
"I wanted to be alone," she said, clearly annoyed as he walked past her towards the large bookcase in front of her door.   
"That's fine," he said, shrugging. "But it's not fine to not answer a guardian who's checking up on you after a large loss. You could understand why the guardian, the principal, and myself all feared the worst."  
"Principal Kirova is here?" Vasilisa looked surprised.  
"Indeed." Dimitri took a hold of the bookcase and moved it out of the way in one easy fluid movement.  
"It went over by the desk," she pointed.  
He threw a glare at her and she felt a bit guilty, she had been the one to cause so much trouble and now she was even having him return her room to the state it had been in before she was the one to move things.  
"Thank you," she said quickly as he moved it by her desk.  
He nodded and opened the door.  
"Vasilisa," Kirova and the other guardian hurried in.   
Neither of them took a moment to thank Dimitri for clearing the way for them but it didn't bother him. Instead, he went back into the other girl's room to retrieve his coat and to thank her for her help with the difficult situation. She smiled and assured him it was no bother. 

He left, returning to his patrol post that he had been called away from in order to help.   
"Hello Vasilisa, how are you doing today?" Vasilisa sat in a room alone with a kind plump faced woman across from her. The woman looked like she had been genetically fused with the chair awhile ago. Her office seemed dusty and under maintained.   
Vasilisa's critical analysis of the room was not aided by the fact that she loathed the idea of being here.   
"Now Vasilisa darling, you are aware that it is Principal Kirova who has asked you to attend these sessions aren't you?" the woman asked, her pen clicking again and again on her blank notepad.   
Vasilisa nodded her head but gave no verbal response. As far as she was concerned she could be mandated to attend, but she certainly couldn't be mandated to talk.  
This woman had no idea what she was going through, and she didn't want to talk to anyone.   
So instead she sat, defiantly staring at the white sand timer on the woman's desk. It held all the sand for their one hour session inside of it and it was slowly ticking down. She was already halfway through. Maybe more than that, and that was perfect because this woman had already proven to be no match for her. This was Lissa's third session with the woman and she hadn't said anything the first two times either.   
Principal Kirova had chastised her about it both times, but ultimately there was nothing she could do to make Lissa talk either. All that that little stunt had told Lissa was that this woman was absolutely not to be trusted. Anything Lissa said in this room would definitely get back to someone, and she didn't want that. She needed her private pain to stay private.

The woman sighed.   
"It appears our time is once again up princess," she closed her notepad.  
Lissa walked out of the room not even sparing the woman a glance. She heard her reach for her phone and call someone, most likely Kirova.   
"You down here for help too?"  
At first, Lissa kept walking, but she stopped when she heard a scoff of annoyance behind her.  
"Too good to talk to some commoner like me huh princess?"  
She turned to see the infamous Christian Ozera.   
"I didn't realize you were talking to me," she said quietly. "Most people haven't bothered recently."  
"Well that's not entirely true princess, but I see your point well enough."  
"And no, to answer your question I haven't found any good kind of help down here. Just spies and a waste of time."  
"Spies huh?" he laughed. "I guess, I could see how you'd think that I had to switch councilors several times before I found one I actually felt like I could talk to. Here," he nodded the way she had been walking from. "Come with me, I'll introduce you."  
"I'd rather not," she said. But Christian didn't even turn around, expecting her to follow him.   
She sighed, stuck with no other options, and turned to follow him down the hallway. 

He knocked on the office door from the one Lissa had just left.   
"Hey Ms. Lydia, it's me."  
"Christian, how's my favorite fire user doing?" a friendly sounding female voice asked.   
"Ha, you know how I finally have a witness for that little comment of yours," he teased.  
"What is this nonsense," she sounded playfully angry.  
"This is a real life princess, who needs a good crazy people doctor."  
"Christian"  
"I know," he cut her off. "I'm not crazy, I'm traumatized, and we're working on it," he smiled at her. "Come on in princess, say hi to the only good councilor on this entire campus. Ms. Lydia."  
"Hello, Ms. Lydia," Lissa bowed her head.  
"Hello," the woman turned from the small bucket she had just pulled out to come over to Lissa.   
Ms. Lydia had deep brown eyes that seemed fathomless, with endless understanding and kindness. She was short, only standing about 5 feet, maybe 5''1'. She extended her hand and Lissa took it.  
"What would you like me to call you?" Ms. Lydia asked.  
"Lissa," she said, and Christian smiled.   
"Here, you can have my session today," Christian said.  
"Hey, I've been trying to get a hold of you for a while, sir," Ms. Lydia turned and instantly leveled a finger at him. He put his hands up.   
"I know, I know, I'll come in tomorrow, any time slot alright, but she had something come up recently, so she needs it more than me."  
Ms. Lydia seemed to be considering it.   
"You'd best come tomorrow or your plants might die."

He looked over at the window sill nervously. "Aren't you watering them?"  
"I told you that's your job," she shrugged. "It'd be a shame though," she looked at the same two plants sadly.  
"I'll come tomorrow," he said. "Really, at 7am."  
She nodded and he walked out. "Good luck princess."   
Lissa watched as he closed the door nervously.   
She'd just spent an entire hour trying to get out of therapy, now she was stuck in another hour session.  
"Alright Lissa, time to find your comfort," Ms. Lydia walked over to her large cabinet and opened it up. "Come on over and take a look."  
Hesitantly, Lissa stood up, walking to the cabinet and looking at the several little buckets inside. She saw fidget toys, stuffed animals, rubber bands, play-doh, coloring books, building blocks, and a watering can.  
"What is all of this stuff?" Lissa asked, looking at the counselor.  
"It's therapy," Ms. Lydia smiled. "We all process things differently, but it's very rare that any of us feel comfortable enough or ready enough to process our trauma without some distraction. So I have a lot of tools to help offer that distraction and something for our hands to do, which naturally makes us feel a little bit safer and more secure. You just pick the one that calls out to you, and then you try it out. If it doesn't work, you can pick something different next time. So, what will you choose?"  
Lissa looked down at her many options and bit her lip. What would she choose?


End file.
